1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to aeronautical communication services, and more specifically, to methods and systems for providing aeronautical communication services via efficient management of frequency band.
2. Background
The demand for aeronautical broadband communications is on the rise. Such increase in demand is attributed to deployment of applications or services which require aeronautical broadband communications. Applications range from in-flight entertainment, telemedicine, flight security, and flight logistics and maintenance. For example, by providing such applications on an aircraft, air travel can be made more productive, pleasant and secure. However, the cost of making such applications available on aeronautical vehicles such as aircrafts is substantial. Therefore, most airlines and the aircraft industry are looking for ways to provide such applications or services as economically as possible.
One of the key issues in the design of aeronautical broadband communications system is the availability of frequency spectrum. Available spectrum in the low frequencies is scarce crowded, as most of that spectrum is already occupied or used by existing services. One such service which occupies the spectrum in the low frequency range of below 3 GHz is the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS).
Due to this restricted bandwidth availability at low frequency and increasing data rate requirements, broadband aeronautical services are therefore generally operated at high frequencies such as the Ka or Ku bands. Operating at such high frequencies, however, has a number of disadvantages including, for example, higher power requirements and resulting costs.
Hence, it would be desirable to have more efficient methods and systems for managing frequency bands in order to provide aeronautical communication services in the low frequency spectrum.